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What type of criminal psychological profile would this fall under?

Basically my story a thriller, about a group of people who suffer from involuntary celibacy and have all their lives, and eventually they all get together and decide to get revenge on society by raping others and leaving messages and calling cards, so society will hear about their problem. They cover their evidence, and don't leave traces behind, and keep it going for months.

However, readers were scratching their heads over the villains and could not tell what type of criminal category they fall under. They said they cannot determine if they are serial rapists, terorrists, psychopaths, sociopaths, etc.

They are not serial rapists, cause they work alone, and they are not terrorists, cause terrorists do not use this as a motivation, they said. And they are not psychopaths, cause their acts are premeditated, and they are not sociopaths cause they work together.

I thought that maybe I didn't have to assign the villains such a label though. In the story, a criminal psychologist explains to the police detective characters what the villains are doing and why, and who they are dealing with, and that's not. No actual psychological label assigned. However according to readers, I need a label for them to identify with. So what would they fall under exactly, if anyone knows?

I don't think you have to assign them a label either, at least not necessarily. You tell us very little about your characters so it isn't easy to create a psychological profile for them. However...

Originally Posted by ironpony

(...)a group of people who suffer from involuntary celibacy and have all their lives, and eventually they all get together and decide to get revenge on society by raping others and leaving messages and calling cards, so society will hear about their problem. They cover their evidence, and don't leave traces behind, and keep it going for months.

From this I'd say: inclination to feel anger and frequent emotional outbursts, low empathy, selfishness, negative emotionality, depression, impulsiveness, seeking of instant gratification no matter what, lack of respect for rules. Now, all these could be linked to a sociopath/antisocial personality. And serial rapists sounds fitting too, if they rape repeatedly. So I'd go with these two terms.

You say bot sociopaths and serial rapists don't convince you because they work together/alone...I didn't understand what you meant, do they work alone or do they work together, and how does this influence being a sociopath or serial rapist?

Okay thanks. I was told that rape is a crime of passion that is not pre-meditated to such a degree that these guys are conspiring to do, so not sure what they would fall under, if that's the case. I was also told rapists work alone, and don't conspire.

Basically not just hooking up but they feel rejected in general by the opposite gender and all that rejection builds up to the point where they want to do something to strike back and make a point, so I had them commit several rapes while leaving behind messages and threats to what they are doing and why, so people will know their cause.

I think one of the problems readers have is that the villains might come off as 'petty', compared to a real threat that makes you think like say, the villain in the movie Seven for example, trying to commit crimes to get people thinking about his cause.

So I am trying to find a way to establish it where the cause makes people think and gets under the readers skin, rather than just coming off as petty, with the readers having trouble identifying with, saying that the villains need a classification of some sort.

Every crime leaves traces. And for each one it's something a little different. That's how serial criminals get caught. Those traces start to form a picture. That picture helps the police catch the criminal(s).

Sociopaths can work together.

Psychopaths can commit premediated crimes.

If those in this group are committing the same crime over and over, they are serial criminals. So if it's rape they are committing, they are serial rapists.

The police or press would probably give them a code name. Someone who wears a Santa mask is called The Santa Rapist, for example. Maybe that's the kind of label your readers are asking for.

Okay thanks. I was told that rape is a crime of passion that is not pre-meditated to such a degree that these guys are conspiring to do, so not sure what they would fall under, if that's the case. I was also told rapists work alone, and don't conspire.

If that's true, then you may want to consider that as you continue with your story.

Originally Posted by ironpony

to the point where they want to do something to strike back and make a point, so I had them commit several rapes while leaving behind messages and threats to what they are doing and why, so people will know their cause.

"cause" is a really weird word for you to use regarding serial rapists and misogynists. But also yeah--this isn't entirely political, but otherwise it's fairly clearly terrorism as well.

Originally Posted by ironpony

I think one of the problems readers have is that the villains might come off as 'petty', compared to a real threat

The motives sound petty to me, yes, though the threat is absolutely real. The story seems kinda disgusting to me, but I'm likely not in your target audience.

I don't write stories, I lick them out of the ice and let them find their own way.

The term "serial" generally refers to a person committing 3 or more acts- serial killer (3 or more murders), serial rapist (3 or more rapes committed).
When characters all get and decide to commit rapes they now have a gang or even family/cult dynamic. Perhaps research the motives and workings of gang or "family"/cult. There will be a leader, second in command and an overall theme/goal to their actions. The last part you seem to have.

Also consider that different people in the group may have different diagnosis. The leader may be a sociopath and have no emotions regarding their acts or the people they hurt. Someone else may derive great pleasure from the acts and others may feel they are achieving justice. One group doesn't have to mean one mind.

If that's true, then you may want to consider that as you continue with your story.

"cause" is a really weird word for you to use regarding serial rapists and misogynists. But also yeah--this isn't entirely political, but otherwise it's fairly clearly terrorism as well.

The motives sound petty to me, yes, though the threat is absolutely real. The story seems kinda disgusting to me, but I'm likely not in your target audience.

Well by cause I mean the reason why they are doing what they are doing, if I was using it in the best sense. I think the reader has a problem with the villains because their crimes are petty though. But is there a way to portray it so that pettiness is okay? Like for example, in The Silence of the Lambs, the reasons why the villain was committing his crimes, are arguably petty but readers did not have a problem with it, cause the threat was still real. One of the things that I think might bother readers in mine is that basically the crimes cause a lot of widespread media attention, and sympathizer groups form for the villains cause, who suffer from the same problems the villains do. I wrote this way cause the main character, who wants to bring the villains down, manages to manipulate and use a sympathizer group to his advantage in doing so. Would this be a problem for readers though, if it cannot be portrayed the best way?

I wouldn't say the group are misogynists though, cause there are members of both genders in the group, who all suffer from the same problem they want to avenge, if that makes sense?

The term "serial" generally refers to a person committing 3 or more acts- serial killer (3 or more murders), serial rapist (3 or more rapes committed).When characters all get and decide to commit rapes they now have a gang or even family/cult dynamic. Perhaps research the motives and workings of gang or "family"/cult. There will be a leader, second in command and an overall theme/goal to their actions. The last part you seem to have.

Also consider that different people in the group may have different diagnosis. The leader may be a sociopath and have no emotions regarding their acts or the people they hurt. Someone else may derive great pleasure from the acts and others may feel they are achieving justice. One group doesn't have to mean one mind.

Yep there is a leader to the group and a second in command as well. And there are a couple of members who feel differently about what they are doing compared to the others if that helps.